A PARALYSED lawyer whose clients included Ken Dodd, George Best and Alex Higgins has had his practice shut down by the Law Society.

But millionaire John Carden, 66, who is bed-bound and hooked to a ventilator since he broke his neck after a horrific horse-racing fall ten years ago, says he is now glad to see the back of it.

Problems concerning his son Bruce and the fact he had trouble running his firm from his Mottram St Andrew home had contributed to its closure, he confirmed.

The lawyer, who lives with wife Mary, relies on an iron lung to breathe and works from his home.

He has had his practising certificate suspended and the Law Society says he could face disciplinary action.

A Law Society spokesman said: "On February 24 the Law Society shut down the firm of Thomas Jones, Son and Carden, at Smithy Lane, Mottram St Andrew.

"The principal solicitor is John Carden and his practising certificate has been suspended.

"The grounds for intervention cannot be given at this time but I can say the grounds for the closure of the firm were very serious."

The spokesman said that what is called a Section 43 order had been made against Bruce Carden who had worked for him.

He said: "This states he cannot be employed or remunerated by a solicitor in connection with his or her practice as a solicitor without the Law Society's written permission."

Speaking from his home Mr Carden, a former Grand National jockey who sustained "hangman's break" - an injury similar to that suffered by Superman's Christopher Reeve - said: "I am all right. I am better now than I have ever been since the accident."

He would not go into the details of how his law firm came to be shut down but he did confirm that his son Bruce was no longer involved.

"Bruce is out of it," he said. "He has a job somewhere else. He had to - the Law Society made him."

Five years ago Mr Carden was fined £1,000 after admitting breaches of professional accounts rules.

A Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal heard from Bruce Carden, representing his father, that the breaches occurred after a breakdown in communication following his father's accident.

Mr Carden said his company - Thomas Jones Son & Carden - thrived until his tragic accident.

"It worked very well until then," he said. "But more recently it has become impossible.

"I would have to ring the office in Manchester and get the girls down here to take shorthand... Plus, there are so many new rules and regulations it has made life very difficult for me.

"It has been tedious. I can't run it from here any more and quite frankly I will be glad to get rid of the damn thing..."

He added: "We will have to concentrate on the cattle and horses, although that is more Mary's thing."